Disconnect lighting fixture



Aug. 24, 1965 R. c. BERRY 3,202,812

DISCONNECT LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed May 27, 1963 \W .107 /7/// INV\ENTOR51 RICHARD c. BERRY.

BYFRANCIS J. KELLY.

ATTORNEY.

United a, Stew Pawn: F

3,202,812 DISQBNNEQT LIGHTING FIXTURE Richard C. Berry, Camiilus, and Francis J. Kelly, Syracuse, N.Y., assig'nors to Crouse-Hinds Company, Syracuse,.N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 27, 1963, Ser. No. 283,497 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-12) This invention relates to and has a general object a new and improved disconnect lighting fixture.

As used in the art, such lighting fixtures are of the general type wherein the lamp or other light source and globe may be removed from the receptacle as 'a unit without the necessity for removing the globe, guard, shade or any other equipment in order to relamp the unit. That is, when the light source fails, the entire unit is removed from the receptacle and a spare or substitute unit is inserted in the receptacle.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, the preferred form of the invention takes the form of a runway'marker light for use in airports. it has been found desirable to mount the receptacle portion of the unit in a base mounted in the runway surface so that the upper surface of the base is substantially flush with the runway surface. Further, it has been found desirable to maintain the receptacle in a dead front condition when the lamp unit has been removed therefrom. This is to prevent shock hazard and the like.

Finally, it is necessary to make such arrangements relativelyweather-tight in order to insure the reliability of operation of the units. 1

In addition, it is considered imperative that the plug and lamp portion of the unit be connected to the recep-- tacle portion'by a frangible coupling so that if the unit is inadvertently struck by a snowplow, airplane, or the like, the plug portion will break without any damage or injury to the receptacle portion.

Accordingly, it is a more particular object of the invention to provide a new and improved disconnect lighting fixture of the type described having a frangible conneotion between the plug and receptacle portions of the unit and wherein the receptacle portion is weather-tight and dead front when the plug portion is removed therefrom.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings, FIGUREl is a fragmentary elevational view showing a mounting base in the ground,

, runway surface or runway apron both with and withou the lamp unit. attached to the base;

. FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary crosssectional view of the receptacle portion of the base shown without the lamp unit;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 with the lamp unit shown in elevation and inserted in the base;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational fragmentary cross-sectional view of the plug or connector portion of the lamp unit; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the mounting base with the lamp unit removed.

As seen in FIGURE 1, the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises mounting base in which a lamp unit 12 is adapted to be mounted and electrically.

connected to a receptacle carried by the mounting base. The mounting base 10 is substantially flush with the ground or runway surface 14 with the exception of the cover 16 which is slightly convex so as to be Water shed- In such lights,

3 262,812 Patented Aug. 24, 1965 ding. It will be noted, however, that in the mounting base shown to the right of FIGURE 1 in which the lamp unit has been removed that there are no protrusions or the like which can be damaged by any vehicles traveling thereover.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that located centrally of the cover 16 is the receptacle unit. The receptacle includes a contact supporting unit 18 located in axial alignment with an aperture 20 formed in the cover 16 and the unit 18 is affixed to the underside of a boss 22 formed around the aperture 20 by means of mounting screws or the like 24. A gasket 26 is received between the unit 18 and the undersurface of the boss 22 to affix the unit 18 to the boss 22 in weather-tight application.

The unit 18is provided with a center terminal 28 and a second terminal 30 radially spaced from the center terminal 28. The terminals 28 and 30 have a 'pair of contact pins 32 and 34 extending upwardly into the aperture 20 fora purpose to be hereinafter described. The

, terminals 28 and 30 are connected by means of leads 36 and 38 to a source of electrical power. The unit 18 is formed with an annular recess 40 in which the lower end of a compression spring 42 is received. The spring 42 extends upwardly into the aperture 20 and into engagement with the underside of a contact plate 44 formed of insulating material. The contact plate 44 is retained in the cover 16 of the housing by means of a retaining plate 46 which is affixed to the housing by means of mounting screws 48 which are received in threaded apertures formed in the boss 22 in the cover 16. The retaining plate is provided with a central aperture 50 which has a diameter equal to the diameter of the aperture 20, but the aperture 50 has, in the embodiment shown, 3 radially inwardly extending cars 52 which engage an annular seat 54 formed in the upper surface of the contact plate 44 to hold the plate in the aperture 20. The ears 52 also serve another purpose to be hereinafter described.

The contact plate 44 is provided with a center contact 56 whichhas an axial aperture 58 formed on its underside and a ring contact 60 formed with an annular recess 62 on its underside positioned in circumferentially spaced radial relation to the center contact 56. The purpose of the aperture 58 and recess, 62 is to permit electrical connection between the contact plate 44 and the receptacle contacts 32 and 34 as the plate is moved axially inwardly in the manner to be hereinafter described by virtue of the reception of the pin 32 in the center contact aperture 58 and the reception of the pin 34 in the annular recess 62 in the ring contact 60. The contact plate is also pro vided with the wiper ring 64 which is strengthened by a V-shaped metallic ring 68 in the conventional manner. The wiper ring 64 serves to maintain the plate 44 in the aperture 20 in weather-tight fashion to prevent the entrance of any water, dirt, or any other foreign material into the aperture 20. r

The plug or coupler portion of the light unit is best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, and referring now to FIG- URE 4, comprises a frangible coupling 70 which is pro vided on the surface on the lower end portion of the coupling with 3 L-shaped grooves having an axial portion 72, a circumferential portion 74, and a final reversely extending axial portion 76. As will be realized, the grooves unit 77 including a light source is carried in the receptacle 75. The conduit 71 is fixedly connected to the coupler 70 by means of a compression nut or the like 78. The receptacle 75 is provided with a pair of electrical leads 80 and 82 which are connected by means of a pair of disconnect jacks 84 and 86 to a pair of leads 88 and 90 carried by a plug electrical connector unit 92. The plug unit 92 is maintained in the lower end of the coupling 79 by means of a snap ring 94, or the like, and is provided with a central leaf spring type contact 96 and a similar radially outwardly spaced contact 98. It will be seen that the position of the contacts 5% and 98 is complementary to the positioning of the contacts 56 and 69 0f the contact plate 44 in the receptacle unit. The leaf spring contacts 96 and 98 are connected to the leads 88 and $0 and mounted in the unit 2 by any suitable means, such as, molded inserts or the like 100, in which the leads and contacts are received and afiixed thereto by fasteners 102.

Finally, the coupling 79 is provided with an annular shoulder 104 beneath which a cushioning gasket 1% is received.

In operation, it will be seen that when the axial portions 72 of the grooves are aligned with theears 52 and the coupler 74, is moved axially inwardly in the aperture 20, the contact plate 44 is forced axially inwardly. This motion is guided by the fit between the ears 52 and the axial portion 72 of the L-shaped grooves on the coupler 70. When the plate 44 reaches the bottom of the aperture 20, the pins 32 and 34 are received in the aperture 58 and center contact 56 and annular recess 62 and ring contact 60 respectively, so as to connect the contacts to the source of electrical power. At the same time, the ears 52 stop any further axial movement of the coupler 70 by virtue of the fact that the ears engage the bottom of the axial portion 72 of the L-shaped groove. The coupler 70 is then partially rotated whereby the ears 52 pass through the circumferential portion 74 of the groove un-' til the ears pass into the shortaxial portion 76 of the L-shaped groove. The force of the spring 42 at this point urges the coupler 70 outwardly so that the ears are received in the bottom of the leg 76 of the groove, thus locking the coupler in the receptacle. During both the axial and rotational movement of the coupler, the contacts 96 and 98 are in engagement with the contacts 56 and 69 respectively of the plate 44 so that upon connection ofthese latter contacts to the source of power, the contacts 96 and 98 are, in turn, connected to the source of power, thus energizing the lamp unit 77.

If, when the unit is fully installed, it is accidentally struck by a vehicle such as a plow, sweeper or the like, the coupler 70 is made of any suitable frangible material so that it will fracture, thus preventing any damage to the receptacle or base unit It? and minimizing the damage to the lamp unit 12, as will be understood, the conduit '72, receptacle 75, and globe and guard 77 are rigidly connected together to the coupler '76 so that when any part of the unit is struck, the fracture or breaking will take place at the coupler 7%. This permits a new coupler 79 to be connected to the unit 12 and to prevent the loss of the entire unit as the resultof the collision between the unit and the vehicle.

While the invention has been described and shown in connection with the preferred embodiment of a runway marker light, it is to be understood that this invention may be used in connection with any lighting unit and the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A disconnect lighting fixture comprising a base having a receptacle mounted therein, said receptacle including a contact plate having a center contact and a concentrically spaced ring contact normally positioned in the plane of the top surface of the mounting base, yieldable means urging said contact plate upwardly into said position flush with the surface of the mounting base, a contact supporting unit mounted in axially aligned relation with said contact plate and spaced therefrom and having a pair of contacts adapted to engage and make electrical connection with said center contact and ring contact of said contact plate when said plate is moved axially inward into engagement with said contacts, said base being adapted to receive a plug-in lamp unit including a coupling assembly having a pair of contacts positioned complementary to the positioning of the contacts in said contact plate, said coupling and base having means to removably attach said coupling and lamp unit to said base, said coupling being operable upon insertion in said base to first make contact with the contacts of said contact plate and to urge said contact plate into electrical engagement with the contacts carried by said base.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein said coupler is made of a frangible material and said means for attaching said coupler to said base comprises bayonet coupling means on said base and said coupler.

3. A disconnect lighting fixture comprising a base having a receptacle mounted therein, said receptacle having a pair of contacts adapted to be connected to a source of electrical power and located a spaced distance beneath the surface of said base, a contact plate carried in an aperture formed in said mounting base and spring means carried between said contact plate and said receptacle and being operable to normally urge said contact plate upwardly into a position flush with the upper surface of said base whereby said contact plate is electrically disconnected from said receptacle contacts, said contact plate having a pair'of contacts spaced complementary to the spacing of said receptacle contacts and adapted to engage said receptacle contacts upon axially inward movement of said contact plate to electrically connect said plate contacts and said receptacle contacts, a light source connected to a coupler including a pair of coupling contacts spaced complementary to the spacing of said plate contacts, said coupler being adapted to be received in the aperture formed in said mounting base and to engage said contact plate to move said plate axially inwardly upon insertion of said coupler into said base, said coupler and base being provided with means to releasably lock said coupler in said base.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,219,90 3/17 Both 339-42 2,766,434 10/56 Gear 339 s x 2,986,612 5/61 Healy 339-36 x ronaron PATENTS 497,163 12/38 Great Britain.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISCONNECT LIGHTING FIXTURE COMPRISING A BASE HAVING A RECEPTACLE MOUNTED THEREIN, SAID RECEPTACLE INCLUDING A CONTACT PLATE HAVING A CENTER CONTACT AND A CONCENTRICALLY SPACED RING CONTACT NORMALLY POSITIONED IN THE PLANE OF THE TOP SURFACE OF THE MOUNTING BASE, YIELDABLE MEANS URGING SAID CONTACT PLATE UPWARDLT INTO SAID POSITION FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE OF THE MOUNTING BASE, A CONTACT SUPPORTING UNIT MOUNTED IN AXIALLY ALIGNED RELATION WITH SAID CONTACT PLATE AND SPACED THEREFROM AND HAVING A PAIR OF CONTACTS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND MAKE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WITH SAID CENTER CONTACT AND RING CONTACT OF SAID CONTACT PLATE WHEN SAID PLATE IS MOVED AXIALLY INWARD INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CONTACTS, SAID BASE BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PLUG-IN LAMP UNIT INCLUDING A COUPLING ASSEMBLY HAVING A PAIR OF CONTACTS POSITIONED COMPLEMENTARY TO THE POSITIONING OF THE CONTACTS POSITIONED COMPLEMENTARY TO COUPLING AND BASE HAVING MEANS TO REMOVABLY ATTACH SAID COUPLING AND LAMP UNIT TO SAID BASE, SAID COUPLING BEING OPERABLE UPON INSERTION IN SAID BASE TO FIRST MAKE CONTACT WITH THE CONTACTS OF SAID CONTACT PLATE AND TO URGE SAID CONTACT PLATE INTO ELECTRICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONTACTS CARRIED BY SAID BASE. 